Non-Tech: Looking for a precious jewelry gift for yourself or your significant other? I recommend thediamondstore.com.

Not all my SYSK (something you should know) posts are software development technology related, but I rarely blog on non-SYSK topics. This one is an exception and here is why…

I decided to write about my experience with thediamondstore.com because, unfortunately, there are too many companies doing business over the internet that are not trustworthy and will take advantage of you one way or another.Yes, they advertise quality products for “Internet” prices, but, as I’ve come to learn, it’s not always so…And being remote, you can’t just walk into the store and resolve your problem face to face…

Before I go on, let me state on the record that I’m not being paid for this “advertisement” in any way, shape or form…But I’m so satisfied with my experience that I just want to tell the world.

So, here is my story…

I found the ring I wanted to buy at szul.com, but I wanted to make a couple of small changes…So, I call the company and speak to a lady that answers the phone…I tell her about my needs, and she says that she’ll call me in the next day or so after she consults with her “customization department”…Well, five days later I call, no progress was made.The lady on the phone is very pleasant and transfers me to the manager of the customization department (a.k.a. VP of sales and marketing).I explain to him what I’d like to have, and he promises to contact me the next day with the answer…To make the long story short, it took me over 2 months of calling in every few days, and hearing over and over apologies and empty promises about calling me back.Two months to just find out if they can make the change I wanted!The bottom line is: they never, not once, have called me back in spite of many voice mails that I left inquiring on the status ; and after two months of dealing with the “manager” I still did not have the answer.

So, feeling stupid for letting it go for that long, I started looking for a company that is more willing to work with me and make the ring I desired.I made inquiries into several companies, including thediamondstore.com.Some of them got back to me, some didn’t…But Dave Cutler (from thediamondstore.com) was just what I was looking for: he is patient, willing the spend the time needed to truly understand what you want, returns your phone calls and e-mails, and yet, he is not one of those sales people that you don’t know how to get away from.No pressure, no “sales”…just somebody miles and miles away who takes pride in what he does, and wants to make sure that you’re completely satisfied.

So, how do you choose a quality precious stone over the phone or via e-mail, especially if you’re as inexperienced in precious jewelry as I am? For starters, you work with somebody you can trust and the person that is not there to make a “quick buck”, but rather to make sure that you’re happy with your decisions and the product.Somebody who is willing to spend the time providing educational information, if needed…And for me, that somebody was Dave Cutler.

We talked about the quality of the stone, and the color…Dave sent me a color & quality chart with prices, so I can choose something that fits my desires and is within my budget.He then worked with his suppliers rejecting many stones before he found the one I wanted.He then sent me a photo image of it to make sure that I’m happy with the choice…He even offered to mail it to me for inspection!Finally, he was able to make the uncommon band that I wanted, and all of this for the “Internet” price.

The ring came with the certificate of authenticity and with the appraisal for the insurance.And it was a beauty!Exactly what I wanted and prior to the promised deliver date!

Maybe I’m biased, but if the company really IS in Cedar Falls, IA, then I’d expect nothing less than the service you got. Glad to hear that your experience was good. Now, if only those Hawkeye fans would settle down….